


Autumn Spice

by steelrunner



Series: VLD Rare Pair Week 2017 [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baking, F/M, Fluff, VLD Rare Pair Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 19:12:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9781139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steelrunner/pseuds/steelrunner
Summary: On the first day of September, Hunk walks into work, and is immediately blasted with the wretchedly artificial smell of pumpkin spice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the fourth prompt of Voltron Rare Pair Week: Free Day. My apologies to all the pumpkin spice lovers reading this - Hunk has a very judgmental palate.

On the first day of September, Hunk walks into work, and is immediately blasted with the wretchedly artificial smell of pumpkin spice, steaming up from the bakery case and latte machine, so thoroughly that it fills every corner of the shop. He gags, and Shay, already standing behind the counter, sighs a little in sympathy. 

He goes into the back to grab his uniform, and then joins Shay behind the counter. It’s a Tuesday morning, and while that doesn’t make it an easy day, it means the stream of customers is manageable, at least. It’s still several minutes before Hunk gets the chance to say, “I’m going to go on protest next year, I swear.”

Shay laughs. “That’s what you say _every_ year.”

“Well, now I mean it.” Hunk lets out a frustrated sigh as he starts yet another one of the accursed lattes. “It’s not even like it’s an inherently bad smell, there’s just so _much_ of it.”

Shay nods in agreement. She pauses to hand off an order to a customer, chirping, “Have a nice day!” and says, “I know. Every time my mom brings one of those pumpkin tarts home, I cringe.”

It hurts some high, idealistic part of Hunk’s soul to sell frozen and over-flavored food every day, especially when there’s a bakery just two doors down from them. Its pastries are absolutely superb - and Hunk should know, he goes there almost every day. “I kinda wanna to try and convince the manager to outsource, but - ”

“ - that’s not corporate policy,” Shay says, the end of an old complaint. 

There’s a small flurry as a crowd of people arrive, and for a few minutes their hands are too busy for their minds to catch up. After the line is clear again, Hunk sighs again, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry, I know I always rant about the same thing.”

“Ah, don’t worry. We all have to suffer together.” She claps a hand on his shoulder as she makes her way back to the front. “Just take a deep breath - or don’t, in this case.”

Hunk chuckles at that. He looks over at her, leaning over the counter to catch something the old lady at the register is saying; dark eyes attentive as she nods, and her cropped hair swinging forward, almost the same shade of smooth brown as her skin. If there’s nothing else he loves about working here - at least he can say he loves the company.

——

The second day of September, Hunk is the one who has the earlier shift, and after Lance leaves for class, he’s busy working the counter alone. Shay must come in through the back door, because she slips up behind him and taps him on the shoulder. Hunk turns around, already saying, "Hey, welcome ba - "

Then he smells it.

Shay’s holding it in her outstretched hands: a beautiful, freshly-baked pumpkin pie, bright orange and golden-brown, still in the pan and wrapped in plastic. Each individual scent is present: cinnamon and nutmeg, ginger and allspice, and just a hint of cloves - it’s _perfect_.

“Holy cow!” Hunk says, not bothering to hold back the admiration in his voice. "Did you make that?"

"Sort of!" Shay says. "I mean, it's my grandma's recipe, and she helped, but I guess so."

“What’s the occasion?”

“It’s for you, silly.”

Hunk blinks. “For - me?”

“Yep!” Shay holds it out, and Hunk takes it, looking back and forth between it and her like he’s not quite sure it’s real. “Do you like it?”

"Yes!" Hunk says, a little helplessly. "I - I love it.”

Shay smiles, brighter than the autumn sun.

(That year, Hunk complains less than usual, and he knows exactly why.)


End file.
